“I laid him out!” Shaquille O’Neal reveals when respecting Michael Jordan backfired on court

Shaquille O'Neal is one of the greatest centers to ever play in NBA.

“I laid him out!” Shaquille O’Neal reveals when respecting Michael Jordan backfired on court

Shaquille O'Neal and Michael Jordan (via What Pros Wear and People)

Many still regard Shaquille O’Neal as the one of greatest players ever. During his heyday, the four-time champion enjoyed embarrassing opponents by perfectly blocking shots and dunk attempts while dominating the other end of the court. Shaq disclosed that in two decades, it had only dunked him on three times, with Michael Jordan being one of those times.

Today’s NBA is very different from the 1980s and 1990s. Yes, things aren’t as simple as they used to be. Still, the league does now feel a lot like a fraternity. In essence, it was the instance in which Shaquille related how he had laid Michael Jordan. Three players—Derrick Coleman, Tim Perry, and the legendary Michael Jordan—posterized him. But after that, Shaquille took his revenge.

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Shaquille O’Neal said on the Drink Champs podcast:

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I got a lot of dunks but face-to-face but Michael Jordan got me three times. So the next time he came through, I had to lay him out. But when I laid him out. I went to help him and he said don't ever help nobody up.
Shaquille O’Neal on Drink Champs podcast

Shaq then explains how Pat Riley taught him to “Show them respect by showing them none”. Those words taught Shaq about how great Michael Jordan was. His respect led him to average 28 and Michael averaged 31 and they defeated Shaq. It was nice of Shaq to show respect to Jordan but he was the kind of player who is friendly and respectful outside the arena but in court, he is a beast.

Michael Jordan believes being great out here needs championships

The legendary player for the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan, was once asked how significant championship wins were to a player’s legacy. The six-time champion Michael Jordan asserted that different players would inevitably react to the question in different ways. Jordan believed that if someone manages to have a successful career despite never winning a championship, then the achievement may not mean as much.

Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley
Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley (Credits: Arizona Varsity)

Michael Jordan said, once in an old interview:

Well for all the people who have never won one, they are always going to say, it’s not that big a deal.

But Michael Jordan continued, saying that the celebrities who were fortunate enough to win it at least once understand how crucial it is to their legacy. He asserted that his six rings were an essential component of his overall legacy and that nothing could ever take them away from him.

Jordan could not resist taking a jab at Charles Barkley, a friend from his past. He implied that Chuck himself would probably argue that, despite never having been able to win a championship, he had a very successful career. Chuck never won an NBA championship in his sixteen years of professional basketball.

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